35, I'm Coming After You

So, at some point this year, I realized that 35 was creeping up on me.  Well, guess what, 35?  I've decided to turn the tables on you.  I am coming after You.  That's right.  Be afraid.  Be quivering in your near-middle-aged boots.  In fact, you better change those to tennis shoes for running from me.

Whoa!  You may be thinking I've been on the farm by myself a bit long.  But, nope, I've just recently found my motivation for getting into shape.  In July, I joined a challenge group with other ladies to workout daily, get our diets in check, and drink a nutritional supplement shake once a day.  I've have to admit, the chocolate shake has been the easiest part.

Well, here I am a few months in.  I haven't adjusted my diet as much as a should and I've missed a bunch of scheduled workouts.  That being said, I still feel SO much better.  I've lost 11", 8 pounds, and 20 cholesterol points!!  I'll take it for the amount of effort I have put forth.

However, 35 is creeping ever closer, so in the last month I've become a bit more serious.  Sometimes, I'm logging two workouts a day.  Two workouts may seem like a lot, but on the program I've found, the workouts are more effective and, therefore, not as long.  My favorite video is only 20 minutes long.  I can find 20 minutes in a day.  How about you?  Heck, I can waste 20 minutes on facebook without even knowing the time has passed.

All this to say, I am proud of myself.  I'm proud that I have taken a step towards better health.  I am proud that my cholesterol dropped 20 points out of the danger zone into the normal range.  I am proud for making the time to work out and choosing to "Push Play" even when I want to sleep a little longer or just veg out.

If and when you feel motivated to take steps to better health, let me know.  The programs I participate in work for me.  I resisted participating in them for three and a half years, but I finally did, and what a change it has made for me.  I'm not "always" tired anymore, and my engagement ring fits again - without being resized.  And don't forget, I avoided maintenance cholesterol medicine.  I've been so happy with the changes in my life that I have decided to become a representative for the company from whom I purchased the programs and shakes.

http://Beachbody.billyandchristy.com

http://shakeology.billyandchristy.com

And 35, you better hide, because you've got less than two weeks until I find you.

UPDATE: Saturday, October 18th, I ran my first 5K without any training other than my Beachbody workouts.  I pushed our double jogging stroller with our six and three year old riding in it!  It was amazing!! I loved hearing that I "was a beast" from friends and other runners.  I'm glad to be 35 and kickin' it.

Halls' Homestead: Thinking of Homeschooling? Tips on Where to Start

Halls' Homestead: Thinking of Homeschooling? Tips on Where to Start: If you are thinking about homeschooling, the first thing I would suggest is that you check out   I love this book,and I recommend i...

Good Deal on Air Swimmer

I was just looking at Amazon.com, and I found this toy for less than $7!  It is normally $50. I know because we have thought about buying it many times before.  I clicked "purchase now" quickly tonight.  If this is something you have been considering, this may be the bargain you have been seeking.

I'm looking forward to ours arriving Monday, in time for the upcoming birthday of our oldest kiddo.

Have a great weekend!

UPDATE:  We received our air swimmer last Tuesday, as promised by Amazon.com.  We bought a helium tank for about $22 from our local Wal-Mart and assembled it tonight.  My husband said skip the included instructions and just watch the video instead.  We are looking forward to surprising our son with it at his birthday party tomorrow.  In the meantime, my husband is dive bombing me with it while I type.  So, in summary it is good for 6 and 36 year olds, although the judgement of the later may be impaired.  He thinks we should have bought three of these.  An air fight, perhaps?

These are for INDOOR use only.  We have 18'+ ceilings in our great room, but it is really more fun at lower levels just so you can hassle others, clearly.  :)

Air Swimmer Tips: We have found that it is best to put a piece of tape over the putty holder, otherwise putty will fall out during flight.  Not only can that be messy/annoying, but if you lose enough of it, your air swimmer will not come down.  If your Air Swimmer does not come down/gets stuck, use a long pole with duct tape on the end to retrieve it.  Note: A ball wrapped in duct tape with the sticky side out tied to string will not work well when you throw it at the Air Swimmer.  Can you tell we've had some fun with it?

Glowing Reviews (Glow Stick Lanterns)

 

I recently bought a bunch of bracelet sized glow sticks for a party at our house, and, of course, I forgot to use them. Tonight, inspiration hit, and we surprised the kids with glow stick lanterns for their rooms. This is an incredibly easy idea, and the kids can help.  Not only is it cheap, simple, and quick, but the kiddos also got a big kick out of them and out of helping. Basically, you put activated glow sticks in bottles of water.

Here are the incredibly easy step-by-step instructions:

1. Find an empty bottle.  We used clear 2 liter soda bottles.
2. Rinse the bottles out.
3. Fill the bottles with fresh water. Okay, I cheated on this step.  I reused a bottle previously used for a "tornado," so it was already filled with water (and some colored sand, and a marble, and some drops of liquid soap...)
4. Peel off the labels. Don't worry about a perfect job.  Our normally OCD kiddos did not even care about the little pieces of label left behind.
5. Open a package of glow sticks.  
6. Activate the sticks.
7. Place the glowing sticks inside the bottle of water.
8. Tightly close the lid. If you have curious little ones, add some duct tape to the top for good measure.
9. Find a dark place to enjoy the ambiance of your new lantern. 

Our one year old taking her turn to check out a lantern

Our kiddos picked special places in their rooms so they could view their lanterns as they went to sleep.

In addition to being fun, these provide a surprising amount of light.

Halls' Homestead: Do You Know the Muffin Man? (Summer Squash Muffin ...

Halls' Homestead: Do You Know the Muffin Man? (Summer Squash Muffin ...: I have a plethora of summer squash.  I did not grow it. I did not buy it.  I did not find it.  My mother-in-law offered it to me, and I simp...

Walking Water Experiment

We just tried a really fun science experiment - Walking Water.  I saw it listed in my newsfeed on Facebook yesterday, and we did it today!  I'm kind of proud that I knocked that one out instead of filing it under "to-do" on my overflowing mental lists.

Check out the experiment here:  http://www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com/walking-water-science-experiment-kids/  The link gives good detail and lots of pictures.

The basic set up is:

1. Place three clear containers side by side.  We used clear plastic cups. Be careful that you choose either containers that are not of great value or will not be stained by the food dye. 
2. Fill the two outer containers with water, leaving the middle container empty.  
3. Use food dye to color the water in the two outside containers. Use two different shades of food dye, one color in each of the two containers with water.  We used yellow and blue.  See further notes on color choices below.
4. Take two paper towels. 
5. Fold each paper towel so that it is long and skinny.  
6. Take one folded paper towel, and place one end in the container of colored water.  Place the other end in the empty cup.  Repeat this process with the second paper towel so that you have something reminiscent of a paper towel bridge extending from each of the two colored containers into the empty cup.  

Have your kiddos make some initial observations, and then wait a while.  We went for an evening walk. When we came back, the kids found the water had walked so that all three cups had an equal amount of water.  

Repeat this experiment over and over mixing different colors.  It is a great opportunity to learn about primary and secondary colors.  Primary colors are colors that cannot be created by mixing other colors together.  The three primary colors are red, blue, and yellow.  Secondary colors are colors created by mixing the primary colors - orange (red + yellow), green (blue + yellow), and purple (red + blue).  

Have fun!!

Halls' Homestead: Ticked Off (Tick Bite Prevention)

Halls' Homestead: Ticked Off (Tick Bite Prevention): In our efforts to go more natural and avoid many chemicals in our lives, we have been checking out natural remedies for common issues.  When...